Reading Element Card Literary Text Grades K-2

BACK TO Element Cards

Teaching Literary Text All of the CCCs in this document relate to teaching literary or narrative text. Page 2 of this document provides a template of an Element Card and a line by line explanation of its components. Each Element Card contains related CCCs within a grade band (i.e., K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) and suggestions as to how the CCCs may be taught, supported and scaffolded. The suggested strategies are commonly used by general educators and may need to be modified to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Many of the instructional strategies will be strengthened when used in combination with systematic instruction such as a system of least prompts or time delay. An Instructional Resource Guide is provided on the NCSC wiki (https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Main_Page ) and contains information on how to use specific systematic instruction strategies when teaching academics. The strategies, supports and scaffolds listed on the Element Cards are suggestions and not intended to be an exhaustive list. Below are some additional resources that may be helpful:

NCSC Curriculum Resource Guides Reading Literary text Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Access these guide here: https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Curriculum_Resource_Guides

NCSC Content Modules Author's purpose and Point of View Main Idea, Theme, and Details Summarizing and Inferencing Text Structure Vocabulary Use and Acquisition Narrative Writing

• Access all Content Modules here: https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Content_Modules

Websites for additional information http://aim.cast.org http://www.inspiration.com/community/lessons-and-ideas www.edhelper.com http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/graphic-organizers-reading-comprehension http://learnzillion.com http://www.teacherspayteachers.com https://edod.det.nsw.edu.au/PDFs/NAPLAN/2008/Links/literacy/writing/LW_Test/LW_TeST_O.htm https://edod.det.nsw.edu.au/PDFs/NAPLAN/2008/Links/literacy/LL_Over.htm https://edod.det.nsw.edu.au/PDFs/NAPLAN/2008/Links/literacy/Critical_Aspects.pdf

How to Read the Element Cards

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS	CCSS	CCSS
PI	PI	PI
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
Specific K grade CCCs would be listed here.	Specific 1st grade CCCs would be listed here.	Specific 2nd grade CCCs would be listed here.
Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:
Suggested Instructional Strategies:
Suggested Scaffolds and Supports:

Explanations for corresponding line numbers

1. Strand and Instructional Family: The Instructional Families group the CCCs into easily interpretable visuals that illustrate the areas of curricular emphasis within and across grades by ELA CCSS Anchors and Anchor Standards. https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Instructional_Families
2. Common Core State Standard (CCSS): A set of national standards that provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. http://www.corestandards.org/
3. Progress Indicators (PI): The PIs come directly from the Learning Progression Framework (LPF) and provide the sequence for instruction within strands. http://www.naacpartners.org/publications/ELA_LPF_12.2011_final.pdf
4. Core Content Connectors (CCCs): The CCCs represent the eligible content for instruction and assessment for students who participate in the alternate assessment based upon alternate achievement standards. The CCC cells are color coded to represent the Instructional Family.
5. Essential Understandings: The Essential Understandings (EUs) identify the fundamental concepts and skills that students use to address the content described in a reading CCC at a specific grade level. These EUs are in a suggested progression which reflects one potential path to reach the content targets within the CCCs. Since students differ in how they learn and demonstrate their understanding, instructional decisions should be made by the teacher to meet the needs of each student.
6. Suggested Strategies: Suggested instructional strategies to teach the specific concepts and skills of the CCC
7. Suggested Supports and Scaffolds: Suggested supports and scaffolds for students to be able to demonstrate what they know and can do

*Strategies/Supports/Scaffolds should promote understanding for a range of students and should support instruction at various levels of difficulty.

Using Details to Describe Text

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.	CCSS: RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.	CCSS: RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
PI: E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories.	PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted.	PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.e2 With prompting and support answer questions about key details in a story.	1.RL.d1 Answer questions about key details in a story (e.g., who, what, when, where, why). 1.RL.d2 Ask questions about key details in a familiar story.	2.RL.d1 Answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions from stories.
Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about a story.	Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about a story. THEN With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a story.	Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about a story. THEN With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a story.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Story Elements Chart: During and after reading a text, create a story elements chart with the class to answer questions about key details in the text. This chart can be completed with words, phrases, symbols, photos or objects or student drawings. Preview the type of information to look for prior to reading story. Practice with a set of short paragraphs or very short stories. Title Characters Setting Plot Theme Provide black and white copies of the illustrations and have student color in or select key details of the story (man in the yellow hat, girl with red dress, etc). Vocabulary: practice identifying and writing target words. Use an event sequencing graphic organizer to match or sequence pictures and/or sentences representing the key events in a story. Then students answer questions about the story (e.g. What happened first? What happened last?), either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a problem and solution map to match or identify pictures and/or sentences representing the key events, problem, and solution in a story. Then students answer questions about the story either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Sketch, Write, Type, or Choose a Pictorial Representation of Main Characters, Key Events, Central Ideas, Problem, and Solution: To help students read closely while analyzing the key details in the story, use system of least prompts to have students sketch, write, type, (or choose from picture or word options) the key details while focusing on the following questions: Who are the main characters? What is the central idea of the story? Where is the setting of the story? When did the story take place? What are the key events? What is the problem in the story? Why did it occur? How does the character feel about what happened? How is the problem resolved? Discuss to Understand 5W Questions: Before, during, and after reading the text, ask students 5 W Questions (examples are listed below): Who are the characters in the story? Where does the story take place? When does this story take place? What happened in the story? Why do you think this happened? Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think individually about a question then meet with a peer to discuss their answers. Then, after they have had time to discuss with a peer they can share their thoughts with the rest of the class. Discussion Webs: Write a question about the story in the middle of a web. Draw lines extending from the web and ask students to provide responses for the question. For example, you may write "Who are the characters?" in the middle of the web. Then, on extended lines students can offer responses to the question. Prediction: While presenting a story stop to have students predict what might happen. Critical Thinking: While presenting a story have students answer questions on each page about the key information present. Small Group Discussion: In a small, guided reading group, the teacher can lead a discussion using the following discussion prompts. Students should also be encouraged to ask questions about the story. Who are the main characters? What is the central idea of the story? Where is the setting of the story? When did the story take place? What are the key events? What is the problem in the story? Why did it occur? How does the character feel about what happened? How is the problem resolved? Whole Group Discussion: As a whole class, the teacher can lead a discussion using the following discussion prompts. Students should also be encouraged to ask questions about the story. Who are the main characters? What is the central idea of the story? Where is the setting of the story? When did the story take place? What are the key events? What is the problem in the story? Why did it occur? How does the character feel about what happened? How is the problem resolved? Sort to Understand Students can sort pictures from the story into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Students can sort key words into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Students can match identical pictures to the book (e.g., character to character, setting to setting). Concept Sort: Key Details Have students sort key details associated with various stories. Choose two or more familiar stories as the categories and have the students sort/match word cards, picture cards, or objects according to story, placing the words/pictures/objects on or near the cover of the corresponding book. Then, students answer who, what, when, where, why, how questions about each story verbally or by pointing to the picture or object. Example/Non-Example* of evidence from text that illustrates key details. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud a book in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud. Then, as the teacher continues to read, the teacher should begin answering the questions him/herself. Problem and Solution Map Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model what he/she learned about the story by creating a problem and solution map. Event Sequence Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and sequence the events in a story by using an event sequencing graphic organizer. Key Details Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and organize the key details in a story by using a story graphic organizer.
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic organizers (Web) Interactive whiteboard and/or chart paper Read aloud texts Preview of the text and details, frontloading Highlighted important information (e.g., characters, setting, events) A list of key details for reference A picture glossary for the terms who, what, where, when, why, and how Color coding of story details in book, on graphic organizer, and on charts Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Graphic organizers to aide in organization of story details Audio of the story on a compact disc or text read by a computer Content delivered using multi-media Word bank from which students may select answers to questions Pictures in order to answers the questions Black and white illustrations of key elements in the story Clearly differentiated multiple-choice answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same key details The use of as many senses as possible to teach concepts (e.g., strawberries represented by strawberries or scent pods from candles or essential oils on cotton balls) Peer support, collaborative grouping

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as the use of a system of least prompts, example/non-example, or time delay.

Describing the Central Message / Theme, Analyzing Relationships, & Recognizing Organization and Features of Text

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.	CCSS: RL.K.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.	CCSS RL.K.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations).	PI:E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations). E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories.	PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations; connects word meanings).
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.c1 With prompting and support sequence a set of events in a familiar story. K.RL.c2 With prompting and support identify the beginning, middle, and ending of a familiar story.	1.RL.e3 Retell the sequence of events in a story. 1.RL.c3 Answer questions about the beginning, middle, and end of a story. 1.RL.c4 Use signal words (e.g., first, next, after, before) and text details to describe events of a story.	2.RL.c3 Describe or select the description of what happened (or key events from) in the beginning of the story. 2.RL.c4 Describe or select the description of what happened (or key events from) in the end of the story. 2.RL.c5 Use signal words (e.g., then, while, because, when, after-before, later) to describe event sequence, actions, and interactions in a story.
Essential Understanding: Identify events in a familiar story.	Essential Understanding: Identify events in a familiar story. THEN Identify the signal words in a selection from a story. THEN With prompting and support, categorize a set of events in the story by beginning, middle, and end.	Essential Understanding: Identify events in a familiar story. THEN Identify the signal words in a selection from a story. THEN With prompting and support, categorize a set of events in the story by beginning, middle, and end. THEN Describe beginning, middle, and end of a story.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Story Map: During and after reading a text aloud, create a story map on an interactive whiteboard. The story map should contain the essential elements of the story (characters, setting, major plot points, resolution). The elements can be written or drawn. After the completion of the story and the story map, work collaboratively with the students to create a summary of the story. Storyboards: To illustrate the major plot points of the story, the teacher or students could stop periodically and draw a pictorial representation of the action on a comic storyboard. Then, at the completion of the read aloud, the teacher and students can summarize the set of events from the story. Use a Graphic Organizer Have students write, match, or place pictures with written labels in a graphic organizer with labels beginning, middle, end to record the key events from a story. Then students answer questions about the beginning, middle, and end of the story either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use an event sequencing graphic organizer with labels such as first, next, after, last to match or sequence pictures and/or sentences representing the key events in a story. Then students answer questions about the story (e.g., What happened first? What happened last?), either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Sketch, Write, Type, or Choose a Pictorial Representation of the Key Events: To help students read closely while analyzing the events in the story, use system of least prompts to have students sketch, write, type, (or choose from picture or word options) the key events while focusing on the following questions: What happened in the beginning of the story? What happened in the middle of the story? What happened at the end of the story? Chart Paper/Display (key events): Keep record of key events as the story is read. Preview the type of information to look for prior to reading story. Practice finding KEY events with a set of short paragraphs or very short stories. Teacher think-aloud of key events and evidence from the story. Record any signal words used in the story. Identify pictures that represent the key events (beginning, middle, and end) of a given story. Discuss to Understand GIST: GIST (Generating Interactions between Schemata and Text) is a strategy that asks readers to condense or summarize a text by generating a summary in their own words. For simple texts read aloud by the teacher, students can provide the GIST by identifying the some of the main events from the story. In longer read aloud texts, the teacher may stop every few pages and ask students to tell the GIST of what was read so far. Critical Thinking: While presenting a story have students answer questions on each page about the key information present. Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to individually summarize the story. Then, the student meets with a peer to share their summaries. After the pairs share, a couple teams can share with the rest of the class. Prediction: While presenting a story stop to have students predict what might happen. Sort to Understand Story Sorting: Visually represent the events of the story by making picture cards of each event. Then, individually, in small groups, or with the whole class sort the events in order. As students sort, verbally summarize the various events. Story Chart: Make chart of story categories (beg, med, end) and have student's sort pictures, words, or objects into the correct category for details of the story. Matching: match story elements to related supporting information. Example/Non-Example* of evidence from text that illustrates key events. Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model summarization a teacher should read aloud a book in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and summarize what was just read. At the end of the story, the teacher can provide another summary of the entire text to students. Event Sequence Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and sequence the events in a story by using an event sequencing graphic organizer (beginning, middle, end). Signal Words Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to locate signal words in a story by highlighting the words in a story.
Scaffolds and Supports Story map graphic organizer Preview of the text and events, frontloading Blank storyboards Pre-drawn storyboard to use for sorting Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Identical pictures that can be matched to the illustration in the book Highlighted key words (e.g., signal words) Color coding of events in story, on graphic organizer, and on charts (e.g., beginning=green, middle=yellow, end=red) A list of signal words for reference (e.g., first, next, after, before, last) Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information Repeated exposure to content and strategies Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., book, storyboard, video, computer, etc.) Increased student engagement may be encouraged through participation in presenting the story using manipulative items, storyboards, and interactive materials Audio of the story on a compact disc or text read by a computer Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same key events Peer support, collaborative grouping

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay, example/non-example and the use of a system of least prompts.

Describing the Central Message / Theme

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.	CCSS: RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.	CCSS RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
PI: E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories. E.HD.d Discussing a favorite text (something learned from reading, connect to experience); sharing own writing with others.	PI: E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories. E.HD.d Discussing a favorite text (something learned from reading, connect to experience); sharing own writing with others.	PI: E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.e1 Retell a familiar story (e.g., What was the story about?). K.HD.d2 With prompting and support, retell a favorite story, including key details.	1.RL.e2 Use details to tell what happened in a story. 1.HD.d4 Retell a favorite text, including key details. 2.HD.d1 Retell a favorite text, including key details.	2.RL.e1 Use details to recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures. 3.RL.k1 Use details to recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures.
Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about a story (i.e. who was in the story? Where does the story take place? What is one thing that happened in the story?).	Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about a story (i.e. who was in the story? Where does the story take place? What is one thing that happened in the story?). THEN Retell a familiar story.	Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about a story (i.e. who was in the story? Where does the story take place? What is one thing that happened in the story?). THEN Determine the most important details from the story. THEN Retell a familiar story.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Writing/Drawing Retellings: Students can write or dictate a retelling of a story by assigning certain sections of the story to different students. Next, the teacher can compile the parts together to retell the story. The dictated/drawn parts can be compiled as a class-made big book to reread. Use a Graphic Organizer (e.g., Story Map, Sequence Chain, etc): Have students use a graphic organizer to retell the story. Use pictures instead of words to fill in the key events in the story and put them in the graphic organizer. Use pictures to sequence the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Have students work in pairs, one student describing the beginning, middle, end of the story, while the other sequences the pictures. Use cut up sentence strips to put the story in order. Use a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer to compare and contrast fables and folktales from diverse cultures. Students match or place word cards or picture cards in the appropriate section of the diagram, representing each story. Then students answer questions about the stories either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Discuss to Understand Puppet Theater: Using a felt board, create props from a familiar story. Ask students to retell the story by manipulating the various props on the felt board. Have students work in pairs, one student describing the beginning, middle, end of the story, while the other sequences the pictures. Students can be provided pictures in order to choose the picture that answers the questions. Students can point to the answer to the question in the book. Students can match identical pictures to the book. Have students select the correct answer from a smaller field (field of 2) of pictures. Student can hold up the book and point and another student can describe what is happening in the story. Provide copies of the story without words and have the students practice telling the story again. Sort to Understand Story Sorting: Visually represent the events of the story by making picture cards of each event. Then, individually, in small groups, or with the whole class retell the story by sorting the events of the story in order. Sort pictures from the story into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Sort key words into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model retelling a teacher should read aloud a book in front of the class. Then, at the end of the story, the teacher should demonstrate how to retell a story as a model for students. Provide pictures from the story and model how to look back in the story and match the picture in order retell the story. Event Sequence Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and sequence the events in a story by using an event sequencing graphic organizer (beginning, middle, end). Signal Words Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to locate signal words in a story by highlighting the words in a story. Retelling Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to retell a story by using an event sequencing graphic organizer (beginning, middle, end) and signal words to retell a story's key events.
Scaffolds and Supports Black-line masters of story elements (characters, setting) for puppet theater Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Picture cards of a story Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Color coding of events in story, on graphic organizer, and on charts (e.g., beginning=green, middle=yellow, end=red) A list of signal words for reference (e.g., first, next, after, before, last) Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same key events or details Audio of the story on a compact disc or text read by a computer Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information Graphic organizers Copies of the story without words Peer support, collaborative grouping

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Analyzing Relationships

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.	CCSS: RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.	CCSS: RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
PI:E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted. E.RL.f Interpreting and analyzing literary elements within a text (e.g., intentions/feelings of characters, cause-effect relationships, a lesson).	PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted. E.RL.f Interpreting and analyzing literary elements within a text (e.g., intentions/feelings of characters, cause-effect relationships, a lesson).	PI: E.RL.d identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.d1 With prompting and support identify characters in a story. K.RL.f1 With prompting and support show how characters interacted in a story.	1.RL.d3 Identify and/or describe the characters from a story. 1.RL.f3 Describe feelings of characters.	2.RL.d3 Describe or select a description of how characters respond to major events or problems in a story.
Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about a character in the story (i.e. Who was a person/animal in this story?). THEN Answer a simple question about a secondary character in the story (i.e. Who was another person in the story?). THEN With prompting and support, choose from a list the relationship between the characters (i.e. Is this a story about a mom and her child or a dad and a child?).	Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about a character in the story (i.e. Who was a person/animal in this story?). THEN Answer specific questions about a character (i.e. What does the character look like?).	Essential Understanding: Identify and/or describe the characters from a story. THEN Identify major events or problems in a story. THEN Describe feelings of a character during the events or problems in a story.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Character Maps: Characters in stories are developed in four different ways: 1) description of their physical appearance, 2) description of their actions, 3) dialogue, and 4) inner monologue. Using a graphic organizer, students can draw a picture of a character in the middle of a web. Then, extending from the character drawing, students can offer words that describe how the character looks, what the character does throughout the story, what the character says, and/or how the character feels. The teacher can chart this thinking by creating a class character map using the whiteboard, or students can create their own character maps in personal notebooks. Story web: Complete a story web identifying key components of the story (who, what, where, when, why, how). Have students write, place pictures with written labels, or match pictures in a character graphic organizer to record the characters' traits and feelings. Then students answer questions about the character either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use an event sequencing graphic organizer to match or sequence pictures and/or sentences representing the key events in a story. Include pictures/and or sentences describing how the events affected the characters. Then students answer questions about the story events either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a family tree graphic organizer to show the relationships between the characters in the story by placing or matching pictures of the characters in the corresponding section of the tree. Then students answer questions about the characters either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a problem and solution map to match or identify pictures and/or sentences representing the key events, problem, and solution in a story. Include pictures/and or sentences describing how the character felt during the events or problems in the story. Then students answer questions about the story either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Discuss to Understand Grand Conversations: To delve deeper into various story characters, the teacher can conduct a grand conversation with the class. Sitting in a circle, or sitting within a small group, the teacher can pose questions about the character that the students would answer. If needed, use a system of least prompts to correct errors. Questions may include: Who was the main character in the story? (e.g. The big, bad wolf; the three little pigs) What did the main character look like? Where does the character live? What did the characters do throughout the story? (e.g. wolf: blew down houses and ate the pigs; pigs: built houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks) What kinds of things did the character say to other characters in the story? (e.g., The little pigs would say, "Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin." Sort to Understand Character Sorts: Make a sort that lists character names and character traits. After students have cut out the sort, match the character trait for each character in the story. Have students sort characters who were in the story from characters who were not in the story. Have students sort different character cards into categories based on emotions. Have students sort key details about the characters associated with various stories. Choose two or more familiar stories' main characters as the categories and have the students sort/match word cards, picture cards, or objects relating to the story characters, by placing the words/pictures/objects on or near a picture of the corresponding main character. Then, students answer questions about each character verbally or by pointing to the picture or object. Have students sort the characters associated with various stories. Choose two or more familiar stories as the categories and have the students sort/match word cards, picture cards, or objects representing the characters according to story by placing the words/pictures/objects on or near the cover of the corresponding book. Then, students answer questions about each story's characters verbally or by pointing to the picture or object. Example/Non-Example* of evidence from text that illustrates key details about the main characters. Use feelings chart and have students identify and sort feelings that relate to story elements. Model to Understand Character Profile: Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model what he/she learned about the story by creating a character profile. Event Sequence: Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and sequence the events in a story, as well as determine how the events impacted the characters, by using an event sequencing graphic organizer. Relationship Between Characters: Using a family tree graphic organizer and a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to show the relationships between the characters in the story. Problem and Solution: The teacher can use a problem and solution map and a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, to model how to identify pictures and/or sentences representing the key events, problem, and solution in a story. Include pictures/and or sentences describing how the character felt during the events or problems in the story. Other Strategies Use time delay* to teach selected vocabulary from text (e.g., related to characters in the text).
Scaffolds and Supports Character maps Interactive white board Character sorts Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information Use of choice boards to identify characteristics of characters, including feelings Highlighted important information about the characters' traits and feelings A list of possible characters for reference (picture support as needed) A list of descriptive words for reference (picture support as needed) A list of common feelings (picture support as needed) Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Graphic organizers to aide in organization of story events and analyzing characters Personalized family trees for students to aide in understanding the concept Picture icons on graphic organizers to support non-readers and visual learners Audio of the story on a compact disc or text read by a computer Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same characters and key events Peer support, collaborative grouping

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as the use of a system of least prompts, example/non-example, or time delay.

Analyzing Relationships

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.	CCSS: RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.	CCSS: RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted.	PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted. E.RL.e Retelling or paraphrasing sequence of events, central ideas, and details from a range of stories.	PI: E.RL.d Identifying main characters, key events, a problem, or solution when prompted.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.d2 With prompting and support identify major events (e.g., problem or solution) in a story.	1.RL.d4 Identify and/or describe a major event (e.g., problem or solution) from a story. 1.RL.e1 Answer questions regarding key events of stories.	2.RL.d2 Describe or select a description of a major event or problem in a story.
Essential Understanding: Given a list of literary elements (a character, a setting, one or two events), choose which item from the list represents events from the story.	Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, identify the problem of the story. THEN With prompting and support, identify the solution to the problem in the story.	Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, identify the problem of the story. THEN With prompting and support, identify the solution to the problem in the story.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write/Draw to Understand Main Events Timeline: Using a timeline, ask students to draw/write the various important events from the story by prompting them to consider what happened first, next, then, and last. They can plot each of these events by marking them on the timeline. Discuss to Understand Grand Conversations: To delve deeper into the various events from the story, the teacher can conduct a grand conversation with the class. Sitting in a circle, or sitting within a small group, the teacher can pose questions about the events that the students would answer. Questions may include: What happened first in the story? What happened next? What's the last thing that happened in the story? Story Re-enactments: Ask students to be various characters from the story. Then, ask students to act out each of the major scenes from the story to demonstrate their understanding of how the events unfolded. Sort to Understand Event Sorts: Make a sort that contains the categories first, next, and last. Have pictures of the various events from the story drawn or written on other sort cards. Ask students to sort the story in order in which the events happen by placing them under each category. Matching: match illustrations of story elements or key events to related supporting information. Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model recalling events from a story a teacher should read aloud a book in front of the class. Then, throughout the story, the teacher should summarize the important events. Finally, at the end of the story, the teacher can provide a recall of the major events that happened in the story. Other Strategies Use time delay to teach selected vocabulary from text (e.g., related to the problem and the key events).
Scaffolds and Supports Timelines Event sorts Read aloud texts Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Use first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information. Highlighted important information Choices of possible events, problems, and solutions Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Picture icons on graphic organizers to support non-readers and visual learners Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same key events Peer support, collaborative grouping

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay.

Analyzing Relationship's

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.	CCSS: RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.	CCSS:
PI: E.RL.f Interpreting and analyzing literary elements within a text (e.g., intentions/feelings of characters, cause-effect relationships, a lesson).	PI: E.RL.f Interpreting and analyzing literary elements within a text (e.g., intentions/feelings of characters, cause-effect relationships, a lesson).	PI:
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.f2 With prompting and support identify a setting in a story.	1.RL.f2 Identify and/or describe a setting in a story.
Essential Understanding: Given a list of literary elements (a character, a setting, events), identify which choice represents the setting.	Essential Understanding: Given a list of literary elements (a character, a setting, events), identify which choice represents the setting.	Essential Understanding:
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write/Draw to Understand Setting Maps: Settings in stories are comprised of different components—some more important than others. In some stories (e.g. many folktales) the setting is not important at all. Where the setting is important, there are generally four dimensions that may play a role in the story: location (e.g. a garden, a school, New York City, Alaska), weather (e.g. rain, snow, hurricane), time period (e.g. Civil War, the 60s, medieval times), and time (e.g. morning, night time). Students can create a setting map of the story by drawing the place where the story takes place and where characters navigated throughout the story. Provide a star graphic organizer for students to write name of the story in the center and then who, what, when, where, why branching out from the center. Students can answer "where" the story is happening—"the place". Example—"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" takes place in the forest at the bear's house. Sketch or Choose a pictorial representation of the Text: Use system of least prompts* to have students answer questions about story element (setting) or develop an image (e.g., paste images, select, draw) of the setting as they read while focusing on the following question: Where does the story take place? Have students complete worksheets to match story elements. Have students draw key components of the setting. Story Web: Have students complete a story web identifying the setting, character, and major event information. Matching: match story elements to related supporting information. Vocabulary: practice identifying and writing target words. Discuss to Understand Asking Questions: In a small group, or whole classroom setting, ask students a series of questions about the setting to develop students' knowledge about the importance of the setting in the story read aloud. Questions may include: Where does this story take place? What places does the character(s) go? When do the events in the story happen (during the day/at night)? Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model noticing the setting the story, choose a story to read aloud in which the setting plays an important role (e.g. Brave Irene or Owl Moon). As you read the story aloud, talk out loud what you notice about the setting. Specifically address, when appropriate, the location, weather, time period, and time of day the story takes place.
Scaffolds and Supports Setting maps Read aloud texts with clear settings Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding "Setting" and "where" printed (word and picture/icon/illustration) on card stock or laminated Whiteboard interactive language arts software, software or apps for desktop/laptop/ipad Hands on objects or tactile objects/cards Braille picture books Peer support, collaborative grouping Graphic organizers A list of signal words for reference (e.g., words that might indicate a setting)
Additional Resources http://www.readworks.org/lessons/grades The pdf provides lesson plans for teaching elements of a story with various stories along with graphic organizers and worksheets. It also teaches problem solution concept. Tompkins, G. (2005). Language Arts: Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as the use of a system of least prompts.

Recognizing Organization and Features of Text & Using Details to Describe Text

Grade K students:	Grade 1-2 students:	Grade 4 students:
CCSS: RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.	CCSS: RL.1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.	CCSS: RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
PI: E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles.	PI: E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles. PI: E.HD.g Using peer feedback and "mentor texts" to expand writing skills; self-evaluating what worked.	PI: E.RL.k Identifying central ideas and key details to derive author's purpose, message or theme.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.g1 Recognize common types of text.	1.RL.g1 Identify the purpose of storybooks and informational text. 1.HD.g1 Read books to examine how certain genres are written. 2.HD.g1 Read books to examine how to write certain genres.	4.RL.k1 Use details and examples in a text when explaining the author's purpose (e.g., what did the author use to scare you, surprise you?).
Essential Understanding: Given two types of text (a literary text and informational text), choose which one represents a literary text.	Essential Understanding: Given two types of text (a literary text and informational text), choose which one represents a literary text. THEN With prompting and support, answer simple questions about the difference between literary texts and informational texts (e.g., Which type of text tells us a story).	Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, answer simple questions about the difference between literary texts and informational texts. THEN Identify the purpose of literary texts.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Discuss to Understand 'Genre Study:' To create a deeper understanding of the difference between literary and informational texts, conduct a genre study with the children noticing the various differences between the two text types. As you read books from each genre, note students' noticings on a chart. Keep adding to the chart as students continue to notice new things. Stories Informational Books Contain characters Have a setting Have a beginning/middle/end Has people talking to one another Some have animals talking Not real Contain facts Have maps Have diagrams Is about real things Have a glossary Have a Table of Contents Grand Conversations: To delve deeper into the "what" authors do when they write literary and informational texts, have a conversation with a small group or whole class of students. Questions may include: What makes stories and informational books different? What are some reasons why an author might write a story? An informational text? When we read the story, how did the story make us feel (laugh, cry, make us angry)? Why do you think the author wanted us to (laugh/cry/make us angry)? Discuss the different reasons for writing/reading text. Provide multiple exposures to different type of text. Identify the type of each text. Sort to Understand Genre Sort: After reading several stories and informational texts, create a genre sort for the students that has multiple elements (e.g. characters, setting, plot, maps, diagrams, facts) either written with words or drawn. Next, create two categories: Stories and Informational Texts. Ask students to sort the cards in the two categories to show their understanding of the difference between each genre. Concept Sort: Author's Purpose Have students sort the author's purpose descriptions (entertain: laugh, scare, surprise, etc. or inform: share information, teach how to do something, etc.) associated with various texts. Choose two or more familiar texts as the categories and have the students sort/match word cards, picture cards, or objects representing various authors' purposes according to text, placing the words/pictures/objects on or near the cover of the corresponding text. Then, students answer questions about each text's purpose verbally or by pointing to the picture or object. Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model your knowledge about genres, talk aloud as you read various stories and informational texts. As you read a story, you may say, "Oh, this man is a character. That's how I know this is a story because stories have characters." Or, you may say, "Oh, here are some facts and here is a map of North Carolina. That's how I know this is an informational book because it's telling me information about something." Continue to talk aloud as you read. For older students, begin to notice the author's purpose. You may say something like, "This part is really making me laugh. The author must want me to have fun reading this book because I'm laughing a lot as I read it."
Scaffolds and Supports Preview of the text and features, frontloading Chart paper and/or interactive write board for the Genre Study discussion Genre sorts Highlighted important information (e.g., characters, setting, events) A list of key features of various genres for reference A list of possible authors' purposes for reference Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplified language as needed Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information
Additional Resources Ray, K. (2005). Study driven: A framework for planning units of study in the writing workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Distinguishing a point of View

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.	CCSS:	CCSS
PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations).	PI:	PI:
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.c3 With prompting and support identify the author of a familiar story (e.g., Show me the author, Show me who wrote the book). K.RL.c4 With prompting and support define the role of the author. K.RL.c5 With prompting and support, identify the illustrator. K.RL.c6 With prompting and support define the role of the illustrator.
Essential Understanding: Identify the cover of the book.	Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write/Draw to Understand Author/Illustrator: Ask students to write their own simple books by stapling together 2-3 pieces of paper. Point out that authors are the people who write the words of the story and illustrators are the people who draw the pictures of the story. Show multiple books from the classroom and highlight both the author's name and the illustrator's name. Show books in which the author and illustrator are the same person. Then, ask students to write their own simple books using scribbles/drawings/letters/words. On the front of their book encourage them to write their name (or scribble a representation of their names) to show that they are the author and illustrator of their own stories. Discuss to Understand Asking Questions: In a small group, or whole classroom setting, ask students to identify the author/illustrator of a familiar story and have a discussion about their roles. Consistently repeat this every time a new book is read aloud to the students. Questions may include: Who is the author of this book again? What does the author do? Who is the illustrator of this book again? What does the illustrator do? Model to Understand Writing Demonstration: Create a short book (3-4 quick pages) in front of the class about something that happened in your own life. Use drawings to represent your story and scribble, label, or write a simple sentence for each event. After you have written the story, go back to the cover and write your name while saying, "Oh, I'm the author and the illustrator of this book so I need to put my name on the front. I wrote the words of the story and that makes me an author. I also drew the pictures and that makes me the illustrator." Use a system of least prompts* to teach students to identify the author and illustrator.
Scaffolds and Supports Booklets for writing Examples of familiar books that have author/illustrator names clearly labeled Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplified language as needed A video explaining the process of publishing a book A video explaining the role the author and illustrator have in creating a book A list of books written by an author A list of books illustrated by an illustrator

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as the use of a system of least prompts.

Connecting Diverse Media and Formats & Analyzing Across Texts

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS:	CCSS: RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.	CCSS: RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.
PI:	PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations). E.HD.e Practicing self-monitoring strategies to aid comprehension (e.g., reread, use visuals or cueing system, self-correct, ask questions, confirm predictions).	PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations; connects word meanings). E.RL.f Interpreting and analyzing literary elements within a text (e.g., intentions/feelings of characters, cause-effect relationships, a lesson). E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
1.RL.c2 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. 1.HD.e3 Use text features to aid comprehension.	2.RL.c1 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. 2.RL.c2 Use illustrations to answer questions about the characters, key events, the problem or solution in a story. 2.RL.f1 Use information gained from illustrations to describe elements within the setting. 2.RL.f3 Use information gained from illustrations to describe a character's feelings or what a character wanted. 2.RL.f4 Use information gained from illustrations to describe a relationship between characters (e.g., mother/daughter, love/hate). 2.RL.g1 Compare and contrast illustrations or visuals between two versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures. 2.HD.e2 Use text features to aid comprehension.
Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, answer simple questions about an illustration in the story as it pertains to a character, setting, or event.	Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, answer simple questions about an illustration in the story as it pertains to a character, setting, or event. THEN Answer questions about how the two illustrations are similar and how they are different.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write/Draw to Understand Matching: Match pictures to activities identifying the illustrated information. Vocabulary: Use time delay* to teach identification of target words. Use an event graphic organizer and information gathered from studying the story's illustrations to match or organize pictures and/or sentences representing the key events including those that are cause and effect events as well as problem and solution. Then students answer questions about the events of the story either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a compare and contrast graphic organizer and have students write, match, or place pictures with written labels to record the differences and similarities between the illustrations of two versions of the same story written by different authors from different cultures. Then students answer questions about the differences and similarities of the stories either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Discuss to Understand Puppet Theater: Using a felt board, create props from a familiar story. The props should include the story's setting and characters created as puppets. In a small group, ask students to re-enact the story by assuming the roles of different characters. As they re-enact the story, students should be encouraged to express the character's feelings, describe the events, and act out scenes between characters. Students can use illustrations from the story read aloud to help them with their re-enactments. In addition, students can re-enact different versions of the same story using different props. Again, the students can use illustrations to guide them through the re-enactments. Grand Conversations: To delve deeper into the details of the stories, gather a small group (or whole class) together to have a conversation about the text. Questions might include: Who were the characters in the story? How did the characters feel about one another? What was the problem in the story? How was the problem solved at the end? How was this version of the story similar to the other version we read? How was it different? Look at the illustrations on this page. Can you describe what you see? Provide multiple exposure opportunities by pointing out different illustrations in stories and identifying the information they convey. Prediction: have students predict what will happen next based on the illustrated information. Identification: have students identify the setting or activities based on the illustrations: Answer questions: have student answer questions related to the illustrations in the story. Sort to Understand Story Sorting: Visually represent the events, characters, and settings of two similar stories (e.g. two versions of Cinderella) by making picture cards of each. Then, individually, in small groups, or with the whole class sort the picture cards into two different columns. One column should represent Story Version \#1 and the other column should represent Version \#2. While the students are sorting, ask them to describe how the versions are similar/different. Model to Understand Think Aloud: As you read texts aloud, model your thoughts about the characters, setting, problem/solution, and events. In addition, describe aloud how different versions of stories are similar/different. Talk aloud as you read aloud and chart some of your thoughts on the whiteboard or on chart paper. In addition, clearly describe what you see in the illustrations as you read. This will provide a model for students as they independently read texts on their own.
Scaffolds and Supports Two versions of similar stories Story sorts Puppet props White board/chart paper Repeated exposure to content and strategies Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information Preview of the text, illustrations, and details, frontloading Highlighted important information Focusing on fewer illustrations rather than the entire book Peer support, collaborative grouping

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay.

Connecting Diverse Media and Formats

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).	CCSS: RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.	CCSS
PI E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations). E.HD.e Practicing self-monitoring strategies to aid comprehension (e.g., reread, use visuals or cueing system, self-correct, ask questions, confirm predictions).	PI: E.RL.c Recognizing organization and features of literary texts (e.g., follows a story line/chronology of events, interprets illustrations).	PI:
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.c7 With prompting and support identify the relationship between an illustration and the story. K.HD.e2 With prompting and support, identify illustrations to aid comprehension.	1.RL.c1 Explain a key illustration in the story.
Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, identify an illustration.	Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about an illustration in the story (i.e. Who is in this illustration? What is he/she doing?).	Essential Understanding:
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Discuss to Understand Grand Conversations: To delve deeper into the relationship between an illustration and the words in the story, conduct a grand conversation with a small group or whole class. Questions might include: What do you see in this illustration? Look at the illustration of the character. What does it show? Let's listen to the words. How does the author describe the character? What does this illustration show us about the setting? By looking at the illustration, how do you think the character is feeling? Model to Understand Think Aloud: As you read texts aloud, model your comparisons of the illustrations of the text with the words from the story. Talk aloud about what you see in each illustration and how each illustration gives you additional insight into the characters in the story. Talk about how in picture books, the author/illustrator will sometimes use illustrations, rather than words, to show problems/solutions, settings, and characters. Other Strategies Use time delay* to teach selected vocabulary from text. Use a system of least prompts* as needed when asking comprehension questions.
Scaffolds and Supports Read aloud texts Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., book, storyboard, video, computer, etc.) Copies of the story without words Black and white illustrations of key elements in the story Clearly differentiated multiple-choice answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Use first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information.

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay and the use of a system of least prompts.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Literary Text –Analyzing Across Texts

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.	CCSS: RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.	CCSS: RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.
PI: E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles.	PI: E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles.	PI: E.RL.g Exploring, interpreting, and comparing literary text genres, text features, story lines, or author's styles.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RL.g2 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the events (i.e., find something the same and something different) between familiar stories.	1.RL.g2 Compare and contrast (what is the same and what is different) the experiences of characters in stories.	2.RLg2 Compare and contrast characters or events between two versions of the same story by different authors or from different cultures.
Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, answer simple questions about story events. THEN With prompting and support, answer simple questions that compare the events in two stories (i.e. What type of animal is in both stories?).	Essential Understanding: Identify the character in the story. THEN Identify experiences of characters in a story (i.e. Bill is sad because he has no friends. Darren asks Bill to be his friend.).	Essential Understanding: Identify the same characters in two versions of the same story. THEN With prompting and support, answer simple questions about how the characters are similar. THEN With prompting and support, answer simple questions about how the characters are different.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write/Draw to Understand Use a Graphic Organizer Use a "double" event graphic organizer (or 2 event graphic organizers) to match or organize pictures and/or sentences representing the key events of two different stories and then compare and contrast the events of each story. Then students answer questions about the differences and similarities of the events of the stories either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a compare and contrast graphic organizer and have students write, match, or place pictures with written labels to record the differences and similarities between the characters and events of two versions of the same story written by different authors or from different cultures. Then students answer questions about the characters and events of the stories either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Use a "double" character profile graphic organizer (or 2 character profile graphic organizers) to match or organize pictures and/or sentences representing the key traits, experiences, and feelings of characters from two different stories and then compare and contrast the characters of each story. Then students answer questions about the characters of the stories either verbally or by pointing to the correct picture in the graphic organizer. Sort to Understand Event Sorting: Visually represent the events, of two similar stories (e.g. two versions of Cinderella) by making picture cards of the various events. Then, individually, in small groups, or with the whole class sort the picture cards into two different columns. One column should represent Story Version #1 and the other column should represent Version #2. While the students are sorting, ask them to describe how the events of the stories are similar/different. Discuss to Understand Asking Questions: In a small group, or whole classroom setting, ask students a series of questions about the events to compare and contrast how the events are similar/different between familiar stories. Questions you might ask are: What happens in this story (Version 1)? What happens in this story (Version 2) How are the events in story 1 similar to the events of story 2? How are the events in story 1 different from the events of story 2? Model to Understand Think Aloud: To model comparing and contrasting the events of different stories, read two stories aloud. Describe, while reading, how the stories are similar as you read them. Describe, while reading, how the stories are different as you read them.
Scaffolds and Supports Story sorts Read aloud texts Preview of the text, illustrations, and details, frontloading Pictures, objects, or tactile representations to illustrate the key details Sentence strips that reflect text from the story that supports the key details Highlighted important information (e.g., characters, events) A list of key details for reference Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Graphic organizers to aide in organization of story details Picture icons on graphic organizers to support non-readers and visual learners Audio of the story on a compact disc or text read by a computer Peer support, collaborative grouping

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.